Snowboard with mechanically attached snow or ice removal elements and foot rest

ABSTRACT

A mechanically attached snowboard with a plurality of snow removal elements attached to its top surface that allows a snowboarder to remove compact snow and ice from the bottom on his or her boot before placing the boot into the binding or act as a temporary traction device for the detached rear boot. Each removal element includes an adapter adhesively attached and particularly embedded into the snowboard. Each adapter includes a threaded bore that is designed to receive a threaded bolt attached to a conical cap. During use, the conical cap extends above the top surface of the snowboard and scrapes away snow and ice located in the treads formed on the bottom of the snowboarder&#39;s boot. In the preferred embodiment, a plurality of adapters and caps are aligned on the top surface of the snowboard so that the entire lower surface of the boot can be easily cleaned by stomping or swiping the bottom surface of the boot thereover. The caps also act as a temporary traction device for the rear boot when exiting a chairlift.

This is a utility patent application which claims benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/846,805 filed on Sep. 22, 2007.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates to snowboards and more particularly, to snowboards with a snow or ice removal device on its top surface used for removing snow or ice from the bottom of the rider's boot just before placing the boot into a rear binding and to snowboards with a temporary resting surface for the rear boot on the top surface when riding with the rear boot temporarily detached from the rear binding.

2. Description of the Related Art

The top graphic layer on a snowboard is a very important marketing tool for a snowboard manufacturer. All bindings or accessories that attach to the snowboard should be compatible or non-distracting with the esthetic qualities of the top graphic layer.

Snowboarders, typically wear boots that fit snuggly into two boot bindings attached to the top surface of the snowboard. The two bindings are diagonally aligned and slightly offset over the top surface of the snowboard.

Many snowboarders ride chairlifts that take them to the top of a hill. In order to enter the chairlift, the snowboarder usually removes his or her boot from the rear binding and then uses the free boot to push against the snow to move the snowboard up to the chairlift entry. While riding the chairlift, the free boot normally remains detached from the rear binding. When the snowboarder reaches the top of the chairlift and exits, he or she temporarily rests the free boot on an open area on the snowboard and then slides carefully down the chairlift's exit ramp. The snowboarder then re-attaches the rear boot to the rear binding and proceeds down the hill.

Unfortunately, packed snow or ice often becomes embedded into the boot's tread when it is used to move the snowboard toward the chairlift's entry. This embedded snow and ice should be removed from the boot before the boot is temporarily placed on the open area on the snowboard and when placed back into the rear binding.

To address this problem, some snowboarder manufacturers adhesively attach a plate, called a stomp plate, to the snowboard which the snowboarder uses to scrape snow and ice from the bottom of the boot. Unfortunately, the movement of the boot over the stomp plate often causes the stomp plate to detach from the snowboard.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to provide a snowboard with mechanically attached snow or ice removal elements on its top surface that allows a snowboarder to remove packed snow and ice from the bottom of the snowboarder's rear boot.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a snowboard with the above described removal elements that can also be used as a temporary rear foot traction device.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide such a snowboard with the more described removal elements that attach to the snowboard in a manner that is minimally distracting to the esthetic quality of the snowboard's top graphic layer.

These and other objects are met by a snowboard with at least one snow and ice removal element mechanically attached thereto that allows a snowboarder to easily remove compact snow and ice from the bottom on his or her boot before placing the boot into the binding. The removal element is also designed to act as a temporary rear foot traction device for the rear boot when riding the snowboard with the rear boot detached from the rear binding.

The removal element is mechanically attached to the snowboard so that they do not become dislodged during normal use. Also, the removal elements are relatively small so they do not alter the appearance of the graphic layer. In the preferred embodiment, there are six, spaced apart removal elements located in the section of the snowboard between the snowboard's central transverse axis and the rear binding. Each removal element includes an adapter that is adhesively attached and partially embedded into the snowboard's laminated structure. In the preferred embodiment, the adapter is inserted into a bore formed into the snowboard's wood core layer and then partially covered by the snowboard's two top laminate layers. The adaptor includes a longitudinally aligned threaded bore which is the only visible feature of the adapter when the snowboard is manufactured thereby not destroying or negatively impacting the snowboard's top graphic layer. A boot tread engaging cap is attached to each adapter and extends above the top surface of the snowboard that is designed to scrape snow or ice from the bottom of the snowboarder's boot. In the preferred embodiment, the boot tread engaging cap is a conical cap designed to penetrate through the snow or ice layer embedded into the tread of a boot thereby enabling it to act as a temporary traction device.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of the snowboard with a snow or ice removal element disclosed herein.

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the snowboard with a snow or ice removal element.

FIG. 3 is an exploded side elevational view of the five layers that make up the snowboard.

FIG. 4 is a sectional end elevational view of the snowboard as shown along line 4-4 in FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a sectional side elevational view of a section of a snowboard with an adaptor embedded therein with a conical cup attached thereto.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT(S)

Referring to the accompanying Figs., there is shown snowboard 10 with a front and rear binding areas 12, 14 and binding holes 16,18, respectively, with a snow removal elements 30 formed located between the board's transverse center axis 13 and the rear binding area 14 that allows a snowboarder to remove compact snow and ice from the bottom on his or her boot before placing the boot into the rear binding 14. Each snow removal element 30 includes an adaptor 40 adhesively attached and embedded and sandwiched into the layers 20, 22, 24, 26 and 28 of a snowboard 10. The upper end of each adaptor 40 is partially exposed in the top surface of the snowboard 10 and includes a threaded bore 54 that is designed to receive a threaded post 64 attached to a boot tread engaging cap structure. In the preferred embodiment, the boot tread engaging cap structure is a conical cap 60 designed to extend into the treads 88 formed on the bottom of a snowboarder's boot to remove snow and ice (denoted as 90 in FIG. 5) therefrom.

In the preferred embodiment, there are six adaptors 40 adhesively attached and embedded into the snowboard 10. The six adaptors 40 are divided into two triangular-shaped configurations 42, 44 aligned transversely over the top surface of the snowboard 10 adjacent to the rear binding area 14.

As shown more in FIGS. 2 and 3, the snowboard 10 is a laminated structure comprising a top graphic layer 20, a top glass layer 22, a wood core layer 24, a bottom glass layer 26, and a bottom running base layer 28. The layers 20, 22, 24, 26 and 28 are adhesively attached together with a suitable adhesive (not shown).

Each adaptor 40 includes a narrow lower body 50 and a wide, upper flange surface 52. Formed inside each adaptor 40 is a longitudinally aligned threaded bore 54 that extends from the upper flange surface 52 and partially into the lower body 50. The adapter 40 fits into a complimentary shaped adaptor bore 45 formed in the wood core layer 24. An optional adhesive 56 may be applied to the bore 45 to hold the adapter 40 thereon. The top graphic layer 20 and top glass layer 22 are then formed over the wood core layer 25 and over top flange surface 52 of the adaptor 40. Later in the manufacturer's process, a hole 15 is created in the top graphic layer 20 and the top glass layer 22 to access the threaded bore 54 on the adaptor 40. The surrounding surface of the upper flange surface 52 remains covered by the top glass layer 22 to reduce its visual impact on the snowboard.

In the preferred embodiment, the conical cap 60 includes an upper conical body 62 and a lower threaded post 64 designed to connect to the adaptor's threaded bore 54. It should be understood however, that while a conical body 62 is preferred, other cap designs may be used. For example, a plurality of threaded bolts may extend through holes formed on a flat stomp plate 110 placed over the top surface of the snowboard 10 shown in FIG. 6. The flat stomp plate 110 may include a plurality of upward extending pegs 120 that the snowboarder uses to scrape away snow from his or her boot.

Eight front binding holes 16 and eight rear binding holes 18 aligned in two longitudinally aligned rows. The binding holes 16, 18 are approximately 1.57 inches apart. The six adapters 40 are aligned into two transversely aligned triangular configurations 42, 44. The configurations 42, 44 are equally aligned on opposite sides of the snowboards longitudinal axis 11. The center axis of the two configurations 42, 44 are located approximately 75% the distance from the snowboard's transverse center axis 13 and the rear binding area 14.

In compliance with the statute, the invention described herein has been described in language more or less specific as to structural features. It should be understood however, that the invention is not limited to the specific features shown, since the means and construction shown, is comprised only of the preferred embodiments for putting the invention into effect. The invention is therefore claimed in any of its forms or modifications within the legitimate and valid scope of the amended claims, appropriately interpreted in accordance with the doctrine of equivalents. 

1. A snowboard with a plurality of snow or ice removal elements, comprising: a. a laminated snowboard including a top graphic layer, a top glass layer, a wood core layer, a bottom glass layer, and a bottom running layer, said snowboard including a set of front binding holes and a set of rear binding holes located on opposite sides of said central transverse axis of said snowboard; b. a plurality of adapter holes formed on said snowboard between said set of rear binding holes and said central transverse axis on said snowboard; c. an adaptor located inside each said adaptor hole, said adaptor being adhesively attached inside said hole and partially covered by said top graphic layer and said top glass layer of said snowboard, thereby partially reducing the visibility of said adapter on said snowboard, said adapter including a threaded bore; and, d. a snow and ice removal peg capable of being used as a scraping element for removing snow and ice from a user's boots, said peg including an exposed section and an opposite aligned threaded post capable of connecting to said threaded bore formed on said adaptor.
 2. The snowboard, as recited in claim 1, wherein said exposed section is a conical cap.
 3. The snowboard, as recited in claim 1, wherein said adapter holes are aligned in two triangular-shaped configurations on said snowboard.
 4. The snowboard, as recited in claim 2, wherein said adapter holes are aligned in two triangular-shaped configurations on said snowboard. 